Trough-clamp.



A. J. RUPPERT.

THOUGH GLAMP.

MPMan-19111111.21: MAR. 9, 1909.

973,387, Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

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A. J.' RUPPERT.

THOUGH CLAMP. APPLICATION FILED MAB.. 9. 1909.

973,387. Patented Oct. 18, 1910.

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AUSTN J. RUFPERT, F FORRESTON, ILLINOIS.

TROUGH-CLAMP.

Application filed March 9, 1909.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that l', AUSTIN J. RUPPERT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Forreston, in the county of Ogle and State of lllinois, have invented new and useful improvements in rl`rmigli-Clamps, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to a tool for clamping the adjacent ends of two sections of an eaves trough together while soldering the joints so that the soldering operation can be quickly and easily accomplished and at the same time enable a neat and satisfactory joint to be produced with. a minimum of solder.

rlhe invention has for one of its objects to provide a device of this character which is comparatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture, reliable and efficient in use, and readily manipulated.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a clamping tool consisting of a pair of clamping members or jaws shaped to fit the inside and outside of the trough, respectively, and drawn together by a screw so that the overlapping ends of the trough sections can be firmly held together.

With these objects in View and others, as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

in the accompanyingl drawing, which illustrates one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a side view of the device. Fig. 2 is plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 11 is an end view of the clamp. F ig. 5 is a detail sectional view showing the connection between the screw and the inner jaw member. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary view of the hinged end of the outer aw member. Fig. 7 is a similar view of one end of the yoke of the clamp.

Similar reference characters are employed to designate corresponding parts throughout the views.

Referring to the drawing, A. and B designate, respectively, the inner and outer clamping members, the first of which is a metal casting in the form of an approximately semi-circular structure shaped to fit the inner face of the trough and the outer member B is semi-annular to fit the outside of the Specification of Letters Patent.

patented Get. 18, 1910.

serial no. 482,388.

trough. The ends of the outer member B are connected with a yoke C in the form of a bar that is disposed over the inner jaw member A and the yoke is formed with a central hub l that is internally threaded to receive an operating screw 2 that has a smooth portion or stem 2 that extends through bearings 3 and l of the member A and has its lower end arranged in a step bearing on said member. Secured to the stem 2 is a hand wheel 6 that has its hub disposed between and in contact with the bearings 3 and 4l so that the screw can be rotated by the wheel without moving longitudinally in the member A, the hand wheel being secured to the stem by a pin 7 that passes through the hub of the wheel and through the stem of the screw. The lower end o f the stem is provided with an annular groove 8 and in the step bearing 5 is a locking member 9 which extends tangentially through the groove 8. By turning the hand wheel 6, the inner and outer members A and B can be moved toward each other as in clamping two sections of the trough together for soldering, or spread apart in opening the clamp to detach the same from the 'trough after the soldering operation. The ends of the yoke are detachably connected with the outer member so that the clamp can be readily opened for applying the same to the trough or detaching it. For this purpose, one end of the yoke is formed into a hook-shaped lug 10 which ent-ers an opening 11 in the free extremity of the outer member B, and the other end of the yoke is attached to an L-shaped hinge leaf 12 that is connected by a pintle 13 with the member B, and the yoke extends under the leaf and is detachably connected therewith by a pin 14: on the yoke that engages in an opening 15 of the. leaf. X

The outer clamping member B is constructed of spring metal and is in the form of a semi-circular band that has its hinged end reinforced by a rib 16. The hinged extremity of the member B is formed with an approximately semi-circular recess 17 to receive the bead of the trough and the under surface of the yoke at the hinged extremity is curved at 18 to lit the said bead.

The yoke C is provided with guide pins 19 which are adapted to enter sockets 19 in the clamping member A so as to maintain the yoke in proper relation to the said member when the clamp is opened to enable the parts to be in position for quicker assemblage in applying the clamp to the trough.

In practice, the two ends of the trough sections to be soldered are brought together in overlapping relation and the clamping device is applied by inserting the member A within the trough and the' member B under the latter andthen the catch or lug 10 is engaged in the opening 1l of the member B which locks the clamp in place. The hand Wheel 6 is then manipulated to turn the screw 2 in a direction for raising the yoke C and depressing the clamping member or jaw A and, with the upward movement of the yoke, the outer clamping me1n ber of jaw B is brought firmly against the outside' of the trough whereby the trough sections to be soldered are held tightly together. Vhile the parts are thus clamped, the joint is soldered. rlhe clamp is moved by turning the hand wheel in the opposite direction to loosen the clamping members A and B suiciently to permit the yoke to be released from the member B to thereby allow the clamp to be removed from the trough. The upper end of the screw 2 is square so that a hand wheel 20 may be applied thereto, as shown in Fig. l, for manipulating the screw in some Vcases more conveniently than by the hand wheel 6.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation of t-he invention, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made when desired as are within the scope of the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:-

l. A soldering clamp comprising a convex member, a yoke, a concave member detachably connected to the yoke, said convex member having spaced journal bearings .therein and a recessed boss, an adjusting screw secured in the journal bearings and recessed boss, and a hand wheel on the adjusting screw having a hub seated between and engaging the journal bearings.

2. A soldering clamp comprising a convex and a concave clamping member, a yoke having a pin at one end, an L-shaped latch pivoted at one end of the concave member for engagement with the said pin, an adjusting screw provided with a hand wheel having a hub, vertically spaced journal bearings in the convex clamping member, the hub of said hand wheel disposed between and engaging said spaced bearings, and a threaded enlargement on said yoke adapted to receive said adjusting screw.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

AUSTIN J. RUPPERT.

IVitnesses:

AN'roNIUs AYKENS, MARTIN L. SMITH. 

